Mayor Says He`ll Slash Trash Crews

October 05, 1985|By James Strong.

Mayor Harold Washington and the union representing the greatest number of blue-collar city workers appeared on a collision course Friday after the administration announced plans to slash garbage collection crews.

Washington said he will implement two-man refuse collection crews and shift the displaced workers to street-sweeping duties, increase bulk refuse crews and eliminate the need to hire seasonal workers without any layoffs.

Ernest Kumerow, president and business manager of Local 1001, Laborers International Union, blamed ``our friends`` in the majority bloc for prompting the administration`s decision and warned that the union intends to fight for higher wages for those left on the reduced garbage collection crews.

Kumerow said he was given advance information on the changes and received assurances that the transferred workers would not suffer pay cuts. As a result, a Chicago street sweeper under the current budget without any pay increases in 1986 would be able to earn roughly $21,000 a year without overtime. The current hourly rate is $10.48.

In announcing the changes, scheduled for the 1986 budget, Washington said, ``The people of Chicago will see more workers on the street, cleaner and safer streets and better use of their tax dollars.``

John Halpin, newly approved Streets and Sanitation commissioner, said the plan calls for some 223 sanitation laborers to be assigned to street-sweeping duties, especially in shopping malls, commercial and high-density areas.

Halpin insisted that refuse collection would become more efficient with no service reduction. He said street sweepers would also clear snow from sidewalks and other heavily used areas.

Kumerow warned that the city will have to negotiate changes with his and other unions, including Laborers` Locals 76 and 1092, which are aligned with the Laborers District Council representing 5,500 to 6,000 city street workers. Sharon Gist Gilliam, city budget director, said late Friday that savings would be measured in service improvements and fewer worker compensation claims.

Gilliam said that to the best of her knowledge Chicago is the only major city with three laborers and a driver on refuse collection crews. She conceded that the issue still remains to be negotiated with the various unions because of the change in work rules.

Kumerow accused Ald. Edward Vrdolyak (10th) and Ald. Edward Burke (14th), leaders of the 29-member majority bloc in Cbicago`s City Council, of lending their support and prompting the city administration to cut crew sizes from three laborers to two.

Kumerow referred to a speech by Vrdolyak and interviews with Burke earlier this week in which the two championed experimental plans to shift the responsibility of garbage collections from the city to private scavenger companies beginning in five or six wards next year.